Niagara Falls frozen in time as Polar Vortex blankets US

The US side of the Niagara Falls frozen in time (Picture: Reuters/Aaron Harris)

Clad with SLRs and visitor maps, tourists were gifted with a wholly spectacular sight when they turned up at Niagara Falls this week.

The Polar Vortex has unfurled record low glacial temperatures on much of the US leaving one of its most esteemed attractions giving a scintillating snow show.

Water – or in this case icicles – plunges 170ft to the ground at Niagara Falls, where three waterfalls straddle the American-Canadian border.

This week, pictured from Canada looking at the US side of the falls, it has literally frozen it in time.

The polar vortex which affected large swathes of the US is expected to calm off this weekend (Picture: REUTERS/Aaron Harris)

The Rainbow Bridge connects the US side of Niagara Falls to the Canadian side (Picture: REUTERS/Aaron Harris)

Over 20million people visit Niagara each year (Picture: REUTERS/Aaron Harris)

Ice chunks flow over the Niagara into its gorge (Picture: REUTERS/Aaron Harris)

Visitors brave the cold to take a look at the beautiful sight (Picture: REUTERS/Aaron Harris)

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Niagara Falls, NY - The frozen mist from Niagara Falls coats the landscape around Prospect Point at Niagara Falls State Park. The Polar Vortex brought high winds and frigid temperatures to the area Tuesday. (Photo by James Neiss/Niagara Gazette)

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The lighthouse at Pere Marquette Beach is completely frozen after a severe winter storm hit Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 in Muskegon, Mich. The brutal polar air that has made the Midwest shiver over the past few days spread to the East and the Deep South on Tuesday, shattering records that in some cases had stood for more than a century. (AP Photo/The Muskegon Chronicle, Madelyn P. Hastings) ALL LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL TV INTERNET OUT

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Matthew Beck/Citrus County Chronicle
Freezing temperatures Tuesday, January 7, 2014 create elongated ice sickles on much of the citrus fruit at Bellamy Grove in Inverness, Fl. Chuck Bellamy, the north central Fl grove operator, said temperatures reached 30 degrees just before sunrise but he believes the fruit was spared damage. He expects another cold morning Wednesday but a strong warming trend is forecast through the weekend.

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Snow and ice are seen covering up Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records, some more than a century-old, shattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

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Marcos Mercado is prepared for the cold and steam as he walks by a vent on the way to the doctor in North Philadelphia. Tuesday Jan. 7, 2013. Brutal, record-breaking cold descended on the East and South, sending the mercury plummeting Tuesday , ( AP Photo / The Philadelphia Inquirer, Ron Tarver ) PHIX OUT; TV OUT; MAGS OUT; NEWARK OUT

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Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker Pierre-Radisson clears the ice flow under the Quebec bridge on the St-Lawrence River in front of Quebec City, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Extreme cold and strong winds are hitting parts of North America. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot)

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York January 7, 2014. A deadly blast of arctic air shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States on Tuesday, canceling thousands of flights, driving energy prices higher and overwhelming shelters for homeless people. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT CITYSCAPE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Ice collects on the Delaware River in view of Philadelphia, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Temperatures across Pennsylvania remain well below freezing but are rising nonetheless after a blast of arctic air set cold-weather records Wednesday, especially in Pittsburgh and elsewhere in western Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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A man walks past a car partially covered in ice in Baltimore, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, where temperatures continue to remain well below freezing. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records, some more than a century-old, shattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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Water dripping into the West 4th Street subway station freezes on a warning cone, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, in New York. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill warning to remain in effect until 10 a.m., with temperatures ranging from 10 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday afternoon and evening. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

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Canadian Coast Guard ice breaker Pierre-Radisson clears the ice flow under the Quebec bridge on the St-Lawrence River in front of Quebec City, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Extreme cold and strong winds are hitting parts of North America. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot)

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A woman is bundled up against the cold, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 in New York. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the eastern U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records, some more than a century old, shattered. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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Ice collects on the Delaware River in view of Philadelphia, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Temperatures across Pennsylvania remain well below freezing but are rising nonetheless after a blast of arctic air set cold-weather records Wednesday, especially in Pittsburgh and elsewhere in western Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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A tugboat makes its way up the icy waters of the Mississippi River on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in St. Louis. Tuesday was the worst cold snap in nearly two decades for Missouri. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Laurie Skrivan) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

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Ice in the Mississippi River flows past the Gateway Arch Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in St. Louis. As Missourians muddled through another frigid day Tuesday, the worst cold snap in nearly two decades was about to come to an end but many roads remained partly snow-covered two days after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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A tug boat navigates the frozen Mississippi River Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in St. Louis. As Missourians muddled through another frigid day Tuesday, the worst cold snap in nearly two decades was about to come to an end but many roads remained partly snow-covered two days after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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The skyline of Pittsburgh is framed by ice along the bank of the Allegheny river at sunset Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. Pittsburgh reached a low temperature of minus 9 degrees early Tuesday morning, and a high of 5 degrees. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Tessa Lind examines icicles hanging from a tree in the yard of her home, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Like much of the nation, the Florida panhandle experienced freezing temperatures, with overnight lows Monday dipping to around 18 degrees Fahrenheit. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily, Devon Ravine)

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Al Fanslau works to clear the driveway of his home at the corner of Morton and Botham Avenues in St. Joseph, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, after a winter storm dumped 15 inches of snow in the area.(AP Photo/The Herald-Palladium, Don Campbell)

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Manatees crowd together at the Three Sisters Springs at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2014, near Tampa, Fla. Officials at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge instituted an emergency closure of Three Sisters Springs in order to safeguard the approximately 300 manatees that had packed into the canal that leads to the springs as the mammals seek warm water for a refuge from the cold weather. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Chris Zuppa) TAMPA OUT; CITRUS COUNTY OUT; PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BROOKSVILLE HERNANDO TODAY OUT USA TODAY OUT

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A car is pulled out of the ditch along eastbound Roosevelt Road just west of County Farm Road Tuesday morning Jan. 7, 2014 in Wheaton, Ill. The brutal polar air that has made the Midwest shiver over the past few days spread to the East and the Deep South on Tuesday, shattering records that in some cases had stood for more than a century. (AP Photo/Daily Herald, Mark Black) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT

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Manatees crowd together at the Three Sisters Springs at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2014, near Tampa, Fla. Officials at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge instituted an emergency closure of Three Sisters Springs in order to safeguard the approximately 300 manatees that had packed into the canal that leads to the springs as the mammals seek warm water for a refuge from the cold weather. (AP Photo/The Tampa Bay Times, Chris Zuppa) TAMPA OUT; CITRUS COUNTY OUT; PORT CHARLOTTE OUT; BROOKSVILLE HERNANDO TODAY OUT USA TODAY OUT

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In this photo from Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, birds swarm a feeder in subzero temperatures at a feeder near Marion, Ind. (AP Photo/The Chronicle-Tribune, Jeff Morehead)

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A student looks out the frosted window of a school bus as it moves down 19th Street, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 in Philadelphia. The record-breaking polar air that has made the Midwest shiver over the past few days spread to the East and South on Tuesday, sending the mercury plunging into the single digits and teens from Boston and New York to Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville and Little Rock _ places where many people don't know the first thing about extreme cold. (AP Photo/The Philadelphia Inquirer, Michael Wirtz) PHIX OUT; TV OUT; MAGS OUT; NEWARK OUT

Cold Snap

Mechanic and driver Larry Hawkins walks among the buses at Reicher Bus Service in Brainerd, Minn. Tuesday, Jan 7, 2014. Hawkins was starting and running school busses Tuesday morning in sub-zero temperatures to make sure they start for classes to resume Wednesday in the Brainerd School District. (AP Photo/Brainerd Dispatch, Steve Kohls)

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A flock of seagulls flies against frigid winds during an arctic cold front over the ice of Irondequoit Bay in Irondequoit, N.Y. on Tuesday January 7 2014.

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The Chicago Skyline sits as a backdrop as fog drifts across Monroe Harbor with temperatures well below zero and wind chills expected to reach 40 to 50 below, Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in Chicago. A whirlpool of frigid, dense air known as a "polar vortex" descended Monday into much of the U.S. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Snow and ice are seen covering up Mississippi River and St. Louis Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records, some more than a century-old, shattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York January 7, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT CITYSCAPE)

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York

Ice forms on the shore of the East River due to unusually low temperatures caused by a Polar Vortex in New York January 7, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT CITYSCAPE)

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A pair of photographers shoot images of the Chicago skyline near North Avenue Beach as cold temperatures remain with wind chills nearing minus 30 Fahrenheit on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in Chicago. Dangerously cold polar air snapped decades-old records as it spread Tuesday from the Midwest to southern and eastern parts of the U.S. and eastern Canada, making it hazardous to venture outside and keeping many schools and businesses closed. (AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles)

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A snow drift is blown accross a frozen section of Lake Ontario on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in Toronto. Dangerously cold polar air snapped decades-old records as it spread Tuesday from the Midwest to southern and eastern parts of the U.S. and eastern Canada, making it hazardous to venture outside and keeping many schools and businesses closed. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

Man skates with his dog on lake in frigid Minneapolis

Cyril River races his dog, Aldo, as he skates around Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, January 8, 2014. A deadly blast of arctic air shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States on Tuesday, snarling air, road and rail travel, driving energy prices higher and overwhelming shelters for homeless people. According to AccuWeather.com, the extreme cold won't last much longer. The frigid air and "polar vortex" that affected about 240 million people in the United States and southern Canada will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin, according to AccuWeather.com. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS)

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In this image from video provided by the Granite Island Light Station LLC, ice covers the water surrounding Granite Island in Lake Superior Wednesday, Jan 8, 2014 near Marquette, Mich. It may be hard to think of this week's deep freeze as anything but miserable. But in the realm of nature, there are silver linings: Heavy ice cover may help raise low water in the Great Lakes and protect shorelines and wetlands from erosion. (AP Photo/Granite Island Light Station LLC)

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FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2014 photo ice forms on parts of a dock on West Grand Traverse Bay near the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Mich. It may be hard to think of this week's deep freeze as anything but miserable. But in the realm of nature, there are silver linings: Heavy ice cover may help raise low water in the Great Lakes and protect shorelines and wetlands from erosion. (AP Photo/ Traverse City Record-Eagle, Keith King, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

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Homes are seen covered in snow and ice Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, in Chicago. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records ó some more than a century-old ó shattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard.(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Student returns to school after weather closure in Minneapolis

A student enters Washburn High School as the school sign indicates a sub-zero temperature in Minneapolis, January 8, 2014.A deadly blast of arctic air shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States on Tuesday, snarling air, road and rail travel, driving energy prices higher and overwhelming shelters for homeless people. According to AccuWeather.com, the extreme cold won't last much longer. The frigid air and "polar vortex" that affected about 240 million people in the United States and southern Canada will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin, according to AccuWeather.com. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION)

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Snow and ice are seen covering up Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. An arctic blast eased its grip on much of the U.S. on Wednesday, with winds calming and the weather warming slightly a day after temperature records ó some more than a century-old ó shattered up and down the Eastern Seaboard. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

DEEP FREEZE MICHIGAN

Twelve-year-old Joe Cantania, from St. Joseph, Mich., joins sledders as they take advantage of a school snow day Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at Kiwanis Park in St. Joseph, Mich. An arctic blast has eased its grip on Michigan with temperatures rising as much as 31 degrees from the double-digit sub-zero levels of recent days. (AP Photo/The Herald-Palladium, Don Campbell)

Visitors take pictures overlooking Niagara Falls

Visitors take pictures overlooking the falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, January 8, 2014. The frigid air and "polar vortex" that affected about 240 million people in the United States and southern Canada will depart during the second half of this week, and a far-reaching January thaw will begin, according to AccuWeather.com. REUTERS/Aaron Harris (CANADA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT TRAVEL)